Tallstar's Revenge/Chapter 6
Chapter description :Tallpaw feels teeth sink into his scruff, and he's jerked back; he swings out into open air, before being let go away from the gorge. Dawnstripe drops her apprentice on the ground, and scolds him. His mentor stares at him, wide-eyed, but Tallpaw is confused. He peers past Dawnstripe, and notices where the grass ends abruptly. It slopes down into a narrow of rock, but below that is a sheer drop. Ryepaw is staring at Tallpaw with wide eyes, and she exclaims that he nearly fell in. Larksplash stops beside Ryepaw, and comments that WindClan hasn't lost an apprentice to the gorge in a while, her eyes sparking. :Dawnstripe snaps at Larksplash, telling her the situation was serious. She nods, and mews that Tallpaw must be frightened enough. Tallpaw, however, can barely hear his Clanmates. His heart pounds so hard, and, trembling, peeks over the edge of the gorge. Water roars at the bottom of the gorge, churning through narrow rocks. He sees it as though some cat had sliced open the moor, but then wonders if this was where Sandgorse was tunneling. :His mentor warns him to stay away from the edge, as the grass is slippery when wet. Heart still thumping, Tallpaw backs away. Ryepaw comforts the frightened apprentice, telling Tallpaw she should've warned him. A bark from the distance distracts the black and white apprentice, and he asks if that's a dog. Ryepaw pricks her ears, assuring him that it wasn't their problem, since it was in RiverClan territory. Larksplash nods to the gray tabby apprentice, and says that they should check the border, just in case. :Ryepaw tastes the air, and she tells Larksplash that the dog is with a Twoleg. Her mentor pads away, over the grass, and replies that the Twoleg will be a daft one, but Ryepaw retorts that all Twolegs are daft. Tallpaw gazes at Dawnstripe, and asks if there are many dogs on the moor. Dawnstripe tells her apprentice that they only come with Twolegs, but only one or two dogs show up. He asks if they've ever come close to the camp, and recalls a time where he'd seen sheep come close to the camp walls. :Dawnstripe tells the apprentice the dogs never get the chance, since they make so much noise. She says that a patrol can hear them, so they have enough time to steer it away. Tallpaw notes that Dawnstripe didn't sound concerned, and she finishes, saying that the dog's teeth is no match for their claws. The ginger she-cat points her muzzle beyond the gorge, and asks Tallpaw if he can see where the land changes. He squints as sun flashes behind the clouds, and sees that farther along the moor, the river had changed. It moved sluggishly where it emerged from the gorge, and Dawnstripe informs him it's RiverClan territory. :She motions to the forest beyond the river, and mentions it's where ThunderClan lives. Tallpaw wonders how ThunderClan can live in a place with no sun to warm their fur or no wind in their ears. Dawnstripe heads away from the gorge and then crossing a slope, topped with heather on the ridge. To Tallpaw, it seems to curve like an endless tail, curling around his home's territory. His legs ache by the time he reaches the top of a descent; the grass sweeps down into a line of trees. Dawnstripe informs her apprentice of the path to Fourtrees, and the young tom stares at the tree tops. :He asks where the Great Rock resides, attempting to peer past the leaves and branches and see the rock. It's noted his Clanmates tend to talk of it after returning from Gatherings; his companion flicks her tail, saying that it's hidden for now. Tallpaw's heart leaps, remembering now how he'll be able to attend his own Gatherings, causing his paws to prickle with excitement. The black-and-white cat trots after his striped mentor as she leads him around the moor's edges. As Tallpaw falls in beside Dawnstripe, the she-cat tells him the location of ShadowClan's territory, and he follows her gaze. :The pine trees take over from ThunderClan's luscious territory, and he looks down at a bare gray stripe that divides the territories. Shapes race down them, along with a roar, and Tallpaw asks if the strip is called the Thunderpath. Dawnstripe confirms it, then assures her apprentice that he'll learn how to cross it eventually. She mentions Highstones, and the thick-furred tom feels his pelt prickle; his Clanmate is referring to when he makes a journey to share dreams with StarClan. :Dawnstripe tells Tallpaw that they're heading for the edge of Clan territory, which excites the young tom, who tries to rear up and catch a glimpse of the unclaimed land, but cannot. The golden warrior explains eventually he'll see it, veering onto a trail roofed with heather. Tallpaw walks after her, the air around stiff, and he thinks about the tunnels as he takes a deep breath and follows Dawnstripe's tail. Then wind touches the black-and-white tom's whiskers as the tunnel opens up to a hilltop, sloping down to a Thunderpath. :Tallpaw gazes out across the Thunderpath, spotting many Twoleg dens, the grass dotted with thin bushes, and beyond, a cluster of jagged peaks. He asks Dawnstripe if that's Highstones, and she replies that Highstones are cliffs, then one day her apprentice will get to travel there to the Moonstone. Tallpaw remembers how every WindClan apprentice makes the journey to talk with StarClan before becoming a warrior, before wondering how he'll make it, due to the territory tour leaving his paw pads grazed. :A voice rings out from behind mentor and apprentice, warning of a mud-hole, alarm in the cat's voice; Tallpaw whips around, asking about the voices, and Dawnstripe explains it's the tunneling patrol. The cats start speaking again, discussing mud slides and the tunnels, so the young tom slinks forward, scenting Plumclaw and Hickorynose, two tunnelers. He warily asks Dawnstripe if they need help, but the striped warrior replies that they know what they're doing, heading away from the hole. Tallpaw hurries after his mentor, worrying that Plumclaw and Hickorynose might be in trouble, but Dawnstripe refuses to, reminding him she's a moor runner, and doesn't go underground. :She adds that one of the tunnelers will take him below ground and teach him the basics of hunting or patrolling, causing the black-and-white apprentice's chest to tighten as he tries convincing himself he can breathe in the tunnels. Dawnstripe says now they'll be going back to camp, and she asks what Tallpaw thought of the tour. The young tom admits that he never knew WindClan territory was so big, and his mentor goes on to state that WindClan guards the world's edge, while the other Clans sit in their woods and marshes, they won't know the taste of the wind or smell of a fresh snow. :The pale gold tabby admits Tallpaw will have good balance, and even outrun a rabbit. The apprentice puffs out his chest, remembering how Sandgorse told Heatherstar about how easy it would to pull a tunneler out of a cave-in by their tail. Then, he pictures his father's eyes darkening with disappointment, making him feel guilty, before running past Dawnstripe and into camp. Barkpaw races up to him, asking what he say, and Tallpaw lists off Fourtrees, ThunderClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan as territories he saw. :The brown tom notes how Ryepaw told him he nearly fell into the gorge, and Tallpaw spots the she-cat, sharing prey with Shrewpaw and Stagpaw. The black-and-white tom offers to share a mouse with Barkpaw, but the brown apprentice tells him he needs to check with Hawkheart first. Tallpaw heads to get the mouse, but then he nearly trips because of his paws stinging, and Barkpaw examines them, explaining that his paw pads are just grazed, but will toughen soon. :Shrewpaw marches toward the two apprentices, taunting Tallpaw by calling him 'Wormpaw', and he snaps at the dark brown tom to stop, since Heatherstar made him a moor runner. Shrewpaw snorts, telling the black tom to stick to tunneling, and leave moor running to cats with tough pads. Characters Major }} Minor *Larksplash *Ryepaw *Plumclaw *Hickorynose *Barkpaw *Stagpaw *Shrewpaw }} Mentioned *Sandgorse *Hawkheart *Heatherstar }} Notes and references Category:Tallstar's Revenge Category:Chapter subpages Category:Super Edition arc